Gigi Reyes Released From Jail

The Supreme Court (SC) has granted the petition for a writ of habeas corpus and ordered the release of lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, who worked as chief of staff of former Senate president and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.

In a 19-page decision promulgated on Jan. 17, the high court granted Reyes’ petition, which invoked her right to “a speedy, impartial and public trial,” citing Section 6 of the Habeas Corpus Act, particularly on the deprivation of liberty on the ground of delayed trial.

Stressing, however, that the ruling does not “adjudge the guilt or innocence of the petitioner,” the SC said the provisional liberty it granted Reyes is not equivalent to the dismissal of her criminal charges.

The SC said it grants Reyes her petition provided that she personally attends the hearings of her criminal cases, among other things.

“Petitioner shall submit a quarterly periodic report to the Clerk of Court of the Sandiganbayan of her whereabouts; Petitioner shall secure a travel authority from the Sandiganbayan in cases of foreign travel on her part, and to physically present herself to the Sandiganbayan and submit a report of her return within five days of her arrival in the country,” the SC decision read.

“Petitioner shall submit to this Court, through the Office of the Clerk of Court, a quarterly report of her compliance with the foregoing conditions,” it added.

“The release of petitioner shall be without prejudice to her re-arrest and detention should she fail to comply with any of the conditions stated herein,” the SC continued.

“Respondent Warden of Taguig City Jail Female Dormitory is ORDERED to immediately RELEASE petitioner Jessica Lucila G. Reyes from detention,” the decision stated.

Reyes, who had been held on plunder charges since 2014, was accused with Enrile of funneling his pork barrel funds to ghost projects of bogus non-government organizations set up by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.